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The new requirements are the product of a taskforce state lawmakers created to study possible legislative solutions after an EF3 tornado tore through half of an Amazon warehouse, killing six employees.

The Illinois General Assembly passed the Warehouse Tornado Preparedness Act — a bill that addresses issues from the fatal Edwardsville tornado in 2021.

“You have to get the foundation laid and then go from there,” said Lynn Cope, whose 29-year-old son, Clayton, was killed by an Edwardsville tornado in December 2021.

Following an Edwardsville tornado that killed six Amazon employees, the Illinois Warehouse Safety Task Force made preliminary recommendations on Tuesday.

Formed after the 2021 tornado that killed six Amazon employees in Edwardsville, the task force is required to submit the report to the Illinois General Assembly by Jan. 1, 2025.

While the exterior of the warehouse was nearly complete about a year after the tornado hit, construction crews have since worked on the interior of the delivery station.

Like other employers, Madison County Transit is struggling to hire drivers. To avoid burning out employees, Managing Director SJ Morrison said MCT will reduce routes in low-traffic areas.

Madison County Transit will spend a combined $45 million for the county’s bike trails and bus system. The county will add 20 miles of trails, two tunnels and seven bridges.

Amazon officials say they are taking steps to make their workplaces safer, including better training.

The federal workplace safety agency has been investigating the deaths of six people at the facility since a tornado hit it in December.